The present invention relates to a connector assembly with terminal arrays for installation with plug receiving cavities, and, more particularly, to a connector assembly with side-by-side terminal arrays having a common dielectric carrier.
A known connector assembly has multiple receptacle connectors in a common housing, which provides a compact arrangement of such receptacle connectors. Such a connector assembly is useful to provide multiple telephone connection ports. Accordingly, such a connector assembly is referred to as a multiple port connector assembly. Specifically, the receptacle connectors are in the form of RJ-11 type modular jacks that provide such ports for connection with a telephone switching network of a telephone service provider, such as, a regional telephone company or national telephone company.
The receptacle connectors, that is, modular jacks, each have electrical terminals arranged in a terminal array, and a plug receiving cavity. The modular jacks establish mating connections with RJ-11 modular plugs that terminate opposite ends of telephone cords leading to wall mounted telephone outlets inside a building. The telephone outlets connect to telephone lines outside of the building, which, in turn, connect to the telephone switching network of the telephone service provider.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,612, a known connector assembly has two rows of receptacle connectors, that is, modular jacks, arranged side-by-side in an upper row and side-by-side in a lower row in a common housing, which advantageously doubles the number of receptacle connectors without having to increase the length of the housing. The receptacle connectors have plug receiving sections with plug receiving cavities that are profiled to surround modular plugs that are to be inserted in the cavities. The modular plugs have resilient latches, which engage with latching sections on the modular jacks. The latches are capable of being grasped by hand, and being resiliently bent inwardly toward the plugs to release them from engagement with the latching sections on the modular jacks.
As discussed in the patent, the receptacle connectors in the upper row are arranged back to back with the receptacle connectors in the lower row. Further, plug receiving sections of the receptacle connectors in the upper and lower rows are arranged in substantially mirror image dispositions relative to a line between the upper and lower rows. The advantage, is that the back to back rows provide good access to the resilient latches of the modular plugs, for grasping and releasing the latches from engagement with the latching sections on the modular jacks.
Further, as discussed in the patent, the receptacle connectors include modular jack inserts. Each modular jack insert is constructed with multiple electrical terminals arranged in a terminal array. Each terminal array has an overmolded dielectric insert. The terminal arrays are installed, one by one, in respective ones of the receptacle connectors. One of the disadvantages of the known connector assembly, is the slow process of installing the terminal arrays one-by-one. What is needed is a connector assembly that eliminates the slow process of assembling terminal arrays one-by-one.
As described by the patent, there are resilient latches integrally attached to the housing, which project into each one of the plug receiving cavities to latch to the dielectric inserts. Specifically, the dielectric inserts are installed, one by one, into the plug receiving cavities, making sure that the resilient latches become biased into latching positions to hold the dielectric inserts in place. Having the latches at each of the plug receiving cavities means that the latches are necessarily small in size, and are relatively weak and easily damaged. What is needed is a housing with a latching system having an integral latch that is of robust size and strength to hold dielectric inserts in place, and yet provide such a latching system in a minimal amount of space.
Providing the latches at each of the plug receiving cavities results in a molded part of complex structure. Such a complex structure increases the attendant cost of constructing molding dies that mold fluent dielectric material to form the latches. Further, both the speed of the production process, and the yield of production, are significantly reduced by the complex structure. What is needed is a connector assembly that eliminates multiple latches at each of the plug receiving cavities.
The invention provides a connector assembly including, a lower row of side-by side-terminal arrays having a first common dielectric carrier, and an upper row of side-by-side terminal arrays having a second common dielectric carrier. By providing the terminal arrays with common dielectric carriers, the invention eliminates the problems associated with having to install such terminal arrays one by one in a housing.
According to a feature of the invention, opposite lateral ends of each of the common carriers have guide sections. A single pair of guides are in the housing along which said pairs of guide sections are guided. Specifically, both common carriers are installed, one carrier behind the other carrier, with each pair of guide sections being guided one behind the other along a common pair of guides in the housing. Accordingly, the connector assembly further provides a housing of simplified construction, by having a single pair of guides to guide the guide sections both common carriers.
According to a further feature of the invention, both of the common dielectric carriers are held in place by a single latching arm on the housing. By requiring only a single latching arm, the connector assembly provides the advantage of a simplified housing structure capable of high speed production, and attaining high production yield. The single latching arm on the housing that holds both of the common dielectric carriers in place is robust in size and strength, and yet provides a latching system in a minimal amount of space. Further, the latch is externally of the plug receiving cavities, and eliminates numerous latches to hold individual terminal arrays.